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Researchers Use Data From PornHub Videos for Orgasm Study

LOS ANGELES — A new study published in the Journal of Sex Research shows that the most popular porn videos show very few instances of women orgasming compared to men.

Authors of the study said they found that only 18.3 percent of women, compared to 78 percent of men, were shown reaching orgasm in PornHub’s 50 most-viewed videos of all time.

The 50 PornHub videos were viewed and coded for the frequency of male and female orgasm, orgasm-inducing sex acts — and whether activity inducing female orgasms included some form of clitoral stimulation — and auditory (verbal, vocal) and visual (bodily) indicators of orgasm. All of the adult scenes analyzed showed at least one man and one woman.

Of the women who were shown orgasming, 45 percent did so through vaginal intercourse, and 35 percent did so through anal sex. Researchers did not mention other stats on other methods to achieve orgasms.

Authors of the study, titled “Consuming Ecstasy: Representations of Male and Female Orgasm in Mainstream Pornography,” said that results illustrate a big orgasm gulf between the sexes when it comes to the depiction of sex through adult content.

“Social representations, which appear in a variety of media, can influence the way sexual experiences are perceived and understood,” the authors said. “While pornography is not the only medium in which orgasm is portrayed, it is the most explicit, and it is widespread and easily accessible.

“[R]epresentations of male and female orgasm in mainstream pornography may serve to perpetuate unrealistic beliefs and expectations in relation to female orgasm and male sexual performance,” they said.